Folding bed



v(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. PENNEY.

FOLDING BED.

No. 484,722. Patented Oot. 18, 1892.

IIII

UNTTEDy STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PENNEY, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,722, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed February 25, 1892. Serial No. 422,765. (N0 model.)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in foldingbeds; and it consists in a folding bed in which the case covers andincloses from sight the bed-body when folded and which opens so thatwhen the bed-body is let down or unfolded the bed may be thoroughlyaired from beneath.

It also consists in combining a head-piece and body-piece of thebed-body hinged together, so that they may be folded when the bed-bodyis closed and opened and extended by means of suitable ways as thebed-body is lowered, substantially as hereinafter more fully described.

It also consists in moving the bed-body in ways, said ways placed at anangle to each other, for the purpose hereinafter described; also, in theconstruction and operation, hereinafter more fully described.

The objects of the invention are, first, to construct a folding bedwhich will have the advantage of thorough ventilation when open and ofinclosing and concealing the bed-body when closed; second, in theconstruction of a bed which may be operated without weights or springs;third, in the combination of abedbody in two sections, the upper sectionadapted to fold upward within the upright case as the lower portionslides toward the case, the whole adapted to move downward as the longerportion folds into the upright case; fourth, in the combination ofalight and movable concealing front with folding supporting-framesacting together to secure at one operation the stripping oi of suchconcealing front to entirely eXposethe bed-bottom, which is anindependent part, to air and brush, and to provide supports (ways) uponwhich the bedbody may be at will extended partially or wholly -to itshorizontal position for use without disturbing its folded uprightposition; fifth, in the details of construction hereinafter fullydescribed. These objectslaccomplish by means of the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of the bed unfolded with a portion of the upright oase cutaway in order to show the internal arrangement for guiding the bed-bodywhen raised and lowered. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 22 of Fig. l.' Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a bed with the bed-bodypartially folded, with parts of the upright case cutaway to show theposition of the head-piece of the bed-body, and the foot-piece of thebed-body when it is folded to an angle of about fortyiive degrees withthe base; and Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the folded bed with theside of the case removed, showing the position of the bed-body whenfolded Within the case.

Similarletters referto silnilarparts throughout the several views.

A represents the upright case, which may be constructed in any suitableform, but which in the example of my invention shown in the drawingspresents the outer appearance of a desk.

B represents the lower or main part of the bed-body, and the same isprovided with a roller attached thereto, one on either side, travelingin guides; also, a roller in the end adapted to travel in guides orways, as hereinafter more fully described.

B represents the head part of the bed-body, which is hinged to the mainpart B bya pivot or hinge B. The object of constructing the bed-body intwo parts is to enable the user to fold the same Within acomparatively-small space.

D represents aroller connected to the headpiece B and adapted to travelin the vertical slot formed by the sides C (l.

D is a roller attached to the upper or head end of the lower part of thebody or bed-body proper and adapted to travel in the oblique way orgroove formed between the sides C C', and D represents aroller on thebed-body adapted to move in the way formed between E and E', E and Eforming a frame with a way or groove in it for the roller. It will beunderstood that these rollers are each duplicated, there being one oneither side of the bed-body in each of the places mentioned.

The frame, composed of Eand E', is hinged to the main upright frame bythe pivot G, which pivot G is preferably made integral IOO with theplate F on the frameE E', the pivot G forming the fulcrum or turningpoint of the frame E E. The frame E E', turning upon the pivots G, isadapted to fold into the case when the bed is folded, as shown in Fig.4, and is adapted to be let down, so as to form a support for thebed-body when said bed-body is unfolded, as shown in Fig. 1.

H is`a panel hinged to the case atiL and also hinged to the support I atL. The support or brace I is hinged to the frame E E all) IJ. y

H' is a panel attached to I. The panel H, however, may be made in theform of the brace I. When the frame E E is folded up into the case, thepanels H and H cover all that portion of the bed-body which is notcovered by the panel H. The panel H is attached to legs J, which legs .Ifold down into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as the bed-section Bis folded up. The panel H, however, may be made separate from the legs Jand may be attached solidly to the bottom of the end of the bed-sectionB, so as to occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, in which case the panelH would not swing with the legs, but would remain stationary.

The object of connecting the panel H to brace I or to panel H', used asa brace, in the manner described, is to cover and conceal the lower partof the bed-body when the bedbody and the section B is folded, as shownin Fig. 4. They subserve the further purpose, also, of supporting theframe E E in place when the same is let down, forming a way and supportfor the bed-body.

The legs .I or the panel H, when attached as `above described, is hingedto the bed-body at K. M represents a cord, which is attached to theupper section of the bed-body and passes over a pulley, as N, and ispreferably provided with a tassel. The object of this cord is to raisethe upper end of the headpiece B in order to move the same upward in thegroove formed by the side pieces C C, in order to more readily fold thebed-body within the case.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the bed-body is downin i the position shown in Fig. 1, the head end of the headpiece B' israised by means of the cord M to an angle with the body-section Bsuiiicient to enable a gentle inward push upon the body B to easilyslide it up in the ways C C to a vertical position, when the rollerD atthehead end of the body B has by moving inward reached the upper or openend of the ways C C'. The foot endBis then raised, turning ou the rollerD as a fulcrum. This fulcrum being placed at aconsiderable distance fromthe upper end of the head-piece B' and the head-piece B being pivoted tothe extreme upper end of the bed-bodyB the body-section B is nearlybalanced. The roller D will descend in the groove between C and C',being hastened in its descent by the heft of the head-piece B', whilethe roller D will move into the upright case A. When the bed-sec tion Bhas reached about an angle of fortyfive degrees, as shown in Fig. 3, theroller D will be near the bottom of the oblique way, as shown in Fig. 3.By folding the bed-section B into the case the roller D reaches theposition shown in Fig. 4 and the bed-body is folded into the case. Theframe E E is now folded up, carrying the coveringpanels I-I and H andthe folding ways E E to approximately vertical positions, movingrespectively upon centers G and L" and united and co-operative throughthe hinge connections at L L and closing up the front of the caseentirely, as shown in Fig. 4.` In un-` folding the bed the frame E E andits co-operative panels H and I-I are let down into the position shown'in Figs. l and 3, and thus prepared to receive and support thebed-section B, now to be moved down to ahorizontal position. As it ismoved to its horizontal position the rollerD moves upward in the obliqueway between C and C until the rollers D andD are in substantially thesame horizontal plane, and the frame E E supports the bed-body. Thebed-body is now drawn out in a horizontal direction, the rollers D and Dmoving in the grooves or ways in the frame E E', while the roller Dmoves downward until the body is fully extended, when the same assumesthe position shown in Figs. l and 2.

The form of the case may be varied to suit the taste of the manufactureror user, and the bed may be folded in any suitable manner, only thesections of the bed-body must be put together, so as to allow for thefolding, as above described.

It will be observed that the bed-body is supported while folded up upona block Xat the top of ways C', thus removingits weight from the foldingframe E E', thus permitting them to fold up byrswinging upon the pivotG, which then is central with the supportingroller D and swings the waysE E around the then stationary roller D.

Immediately upon the unfolding of the supporting-frames andcovering-panels to horizontal readiness to receive the bearingroller Dand D the entire weight passes from the stationary block to thesupportingframe until the body is extended to its full length, when thelegs J may be let down so as to support the foot end of the bed-body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

l. In a folding bed, the combination of an upright case, a bed-bodyprovided with a fulcrum which travels in a folding frame, and a foldingframe supporting two or more panels, said bed-body adapted to foldwithin the upright case and said frame adapted to fold IOO IOS

wit-hin the case, so as to cover or conceal the bed-body by means of thefolding panels, substantially as described.

2. In a folding bed, the combination of an upright case, a bed-bodyhaving an uppe and a lower section hinged together, a frame pivoted tothe upright case and provided with ways, one on either side, rollersattached to the outward section of the bed-body, adapted to move inthese ways land serve to fulcrum the lower section of the bed-body, anda panel hinged to the upright case and to acsupport or panel, whichsupport or panel is also hinged to the frame,said frame adapted to foldup into the case, so as to conceal the folded bed-body by means of thepanels, substantially as described.

3. In a folding` bed, the combination of a bedbody, a folding frameprovided with ways for supporting the fulcrum of the bed-body, and aframe consisting of two panels, one of said panels hinged to the uprightcase and the other of said panels hinged to the frame, and

said panels hinged together and adapted to support the frame bearing theways and to be folded up in front of the upright case as the frame isfolded, substantially as described.

4. In a folding bed, the combination of the upright case provided withoblique and perpendicular Ways, a frame hinged to the upright caseprovided with Ways, panels hinged to this folding frame, a bed-bodyhaving its upper sectionA provided with a roller adapted to move inperpendicular ways'in the upright case, and a lower section providedwith a roller adapted to move horizontally in ways in the folding frame,and also with a roller adapted to move in the oblique Ways in theupright case, said bed-body composed of two sections adapted to foldwithin the case and to unfold and extend, substantially as described.

5. In a folding bed, the combination of an upright case, a folding framebearing ways for the fulcrums of the folding bed, and panels hinged tosaid frame, to each other, and to the upright case, adapted to form asupport for the frame when lowered and as a cover for the bottom of thebed-body when folded, substantially as described.

6. In a folding bed, the combination of an upright case, a bed-bodyprovided with a fulcrum which travels in a folding frame, and a foldingframe supporting the fulcrum of the bed-body and the bed when unfoldedand adapted to fold into the upright case, substantially as described.

7. In a folding bed, the combination, with an upright case, of a foldingsupporting-frame pivoted to the case and having guideways and a foldingbed portion having supporting guide-rollers adapted to engage saidguideways and some of which form the fulcrum of the bed portion, whilethe others are capable of traveling to and froacross the pivotal pointof the bed portion in folding and unfolding the latter, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a folding bed, the combination, with a stationary case havinginclined guideways open at their upper ends, of a foldingsupporting-frame pivoted at one end to the case and having guidewayswhich communicate with the open upper ends of the inclined guidewayswhen said supporting-frame is unfolded, and a folding bed portion havingguide rollers or bearings which form the fulcrum ofthe folding bedportion, and other rollers or bearings which travel across the pivotalpoint of the bed portion in folding and unfolding the same,substantially as described.

9. In a folding bed, the combination, with a stationary case, of afolding supportingframe pivoted to said case, a folding bed portionsupported by the folding supportingframe and a jointed or hinged framepivoted at one end to said supporting-frame and at the opposite endpivotally connected with the stationary case at a point below thepivotal point of the supporting-frame, said parts turning on theirrespective pivotal connections to fold up within and against thestationary case, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presenceof two witmesses.

JOSEPH PENNEY. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

EDWARD TAGGART, HARRY P. VAN WAGNER.

